Heavy Metal ZERO
by MEGAMANX411
Summary: Set in the timeline of the Mega Man Zero series. Metal, creation of the famous Dr. Wily, finally managed to end his vendetta. However, Dr. Weil sought to disturb that rest...Warning! This story does contain severe violence and language.


**Disclaimer: **This story is a continuation of the _Heavy Metal_ series, and follows the second part of the story, _Return of Metal_. However, this continuation only applies if you go by the second ending ("Requiem") as opposed to the first ("Afterlife"). This story will still involve Metal, obviously, however, there is a big change. Instead of taking place during the Mega Man X series timeline, things have now shifted to the Mega Man Zero series, approximately 100 years later. Metal, after losing the only person he ever cared for, has gone off on his own. The Maverick Hunters didn't find him ever again, and their lives continued—the Maverick Wars kept them busy enough.

This story begins sometime after Mega Man Zero 3, but sometime during or before Mega Man Zero 4. The main thing to note is that Zero already knows that his body is a replica, and that Dr. Weil is running around still. Copy X was destroyed, and the hologram of the original X supposedly dissipated after Zero 3. Because Axl never made an appearance in the Zero series, he will not be appearing in this story either. Ciel will obviously be present.

Here is a bit of back-story for Metal's part. After hiding in the shadows and building up his power, Metal set out on a quest for vengeance against Zero. He held a vendetta against Zero because he was more favored by Dr. Wily. However, he failed, and vowed to change his ways. Sadly, that would not come to pass. Sigma, who was then unknown to Metal, showed up to bargain with the renegade robot. Metal refused at first, but after understanding how much power he would gain, he gave into his desires. He then set out to fight the Hunters again, but this time, he ended up losing more than he bargained for. He vowed to become a different Metal, a stronger Metal—and thus sealed himself away until he was ready to emerge once again, ready to face the world.

Please note that the Mega Man Zero license, and all characters included therein, is property of Capcom. Mega Man is property of Capcom.

**Heavy Metal ZERO**  
Chapter 1  
_"Awakening"_  
By MEGAMANX411

A full century had passed since that time. Metal had no knowledge of what happened, so he obviously missed out on the rest of the Maverick Wars. He had no idea what had happened to Zero, to X, and to Axl—or to the fate of the world for that matter. What mattered to him was fulfilling his quest of redemption, and he felt to do that, he needed to begin anew. What better way to restart than to abandon one's present time? With the aid of the Maverick Hunters, who were delighted to get rid of Metal for the time being, Metal was able to enter a state of stasis.

Before being sealed away, Metal did make one other request. He wanted a new body. To begin a new existence, he wanted to literally be reborn. Thus, the Maverick Hunters and the representative council assembled to discuss the matter. While Metal was not given the most powerful body, he was given "sufficient power to exist" as they reported. Douglas, the proficient mechanic, along with several other staff members, including Special Class A Maverick Hunter Zero, were on the task.

Metal's memories were transferred over to the new body. Much to their dismay, the memory transference was not 100 accurate, and thus some memories may have been jumbled or lost—they did not expect the repercussions to be dire, however. As for Metal's body…he kept his armor dark as pitch. Shades of silver and gray still could be found on some pieces of the design, and the overall look of the armor was sleeker and more aesthetic than his previous design. He wasn't given especially powerful weapons, but a standard buster weapon was given to him, along with a saber—mementos from X and Zero, respectively.

So Metal was sealed away. His capsule was sealed in a cavernous region north of Maverick Hunter HQ, at point ZR-388 in the third sector. It was concealed amongst a landslide area, so not to attract the attention of others. Thankfully, the capsule was reinforced enough to withstand any natural disaster.

The Maverick Wars raged on. The Elf Wars followed. A new period of unrest was coming. A time emerged where Reploids would be on the run, hunted and alone. The vicious iron-fist of Neo Arcadia's reign was prominent. And thus, a new hero needed to arise—that would be Zero, the legendary Maverick Hunter of old. History does in fact repeat itself. Unfortunately for both Metal and Zero, the machinations of fate had plenty in store for them, in the form of Dr. Weil.

It was no surprise to Dr. Weil that his second incarnation of Copy X had been defeated. He had counted on it. His Omega was fought off, much to his surprise. He never expected Zero to abandon his original body. As for Original X…well, Zero personally didn't know where he went. If he did die, was there a Heaven waiting for him? That didn't seem to matter to him at the present time though. He was too busy with the task at hand. As for Weil…

"Excellent…" the old scientist muttered, a grin appearing on his face.

The old man quickly browsed through a series of information panels on his computer. The sheer rate at which he processed news was nothing short of phenomenal. Dr. Weil certainly knew how to plan his attacks well. But this time, he came across a rather interesting discovery. At an unknown point, past the ruins of what was previously known as Maverick Hunter HQ, there was still a faint energy signal. Even though the being in question was in stasis, the energy signal still could be identified.

Dr. Weil chuckled with glee. Was it another special robot from the past? The resistance had Zero, maybe he could find yet another legend for his own side. He had done extensive research about the Maverick Wars era, and any information before that time. He was not completely familiar with the life and times of either Dr. Wily or Dr. Light, but he did remember an archaic document mentioning a creation named "Metal" that supposedly caused some trouble for X AND Zero both. That sounded like an intriguing proposition.

So, Dr. Weil set out for the designated point. When he arrived, he noticed that the land was barren. No one had even dared to set foot out here before, it seemed. Those who sealed this robot away must have been excellent at their duties.

_No matter_, Weil thought. _He's mine now._

Dr. Weil quickly utilized one of his tools to get down to where the signal was strongest. It actually came from down in a hollowed-out cave that had formed over a long period of erosion. The capsule remained intact despite of that. Weil slowly approached the dark capsule, eyeing it with anticipation. He glanced over at the nearby control panel, let his fingers fly across it, and suddenly, the machines around it hissed and whirred. The being inside was being reactivated.

There was a jolt. The jewel placed within the forehead of Metal's new body shone a bright blue. Fog emanated from the capsule as it flashed open. Slowly, Metal's eyes opened, revealing his dark gaze. His right hand was clutching a beam saber. Dr. Weil eyed the robotic creation, inspecting its design. He instantly knew that he could easily make some adjustments to make him more impressive, to make him more powerful…the important thing was that the basic design itself allowed for power. It seemed as though this robot did have a quality similar to that of Zero. He couldn't quite place it, but this "Metal" did seem to have that same spark that made Zero the powerful ancient machine he was.

Before Dr. Weil was able to assess the situation further, Metal had already stood up. He looked around the immediate room, trying to process the situation and reacquaint himself with his diagnostics. Suddenly, a flash of memories sparked, and Metal hunched over, clutching his head. Within a second's time however, the pain ceased and Metal returned to normal. He looked over at the human in the room with him.

"Who are you…? Are you that same old man from long ago?" Metal asked.

Dr. Weil had no idea of whom he was referring to, but he thought he could at least manipulate this robot's apparent lack of a grasp on the situation to his end. Dr. Weil smiled evilly and began to think down various fabrications he could feed to Metal.

"I'm not the one that created you. However, I have waited here for your return Metal. You are very special to us," Dr. Weil began.

"Special? To you? I don't understand what you could need me for," Metal responded.

"I have some terrible news. The future is bleak for humans, much like myself. Mavericks are everywhere, and humans live in despair. Even Maverick Hunter X was killed, and although the memories you have of the person may be hazy, he was murdered by Zero…" Dr. Weil announced.

The name "Zero" resonated in Metal's mind. It sparked a new flux of memories, but they didn't come out quite right. Memories flurried around quickly, jumbled, and out of order. He couldn't make sense of them. A sharp stinging pain rang through his head as he tried to dig deeper. Could Zero be a Maverick? What had happened? X was gone? However, Metal still remembered that he didn't have to get involved, much to the dismay of Weil.

"It's not my place. I may not remember everything…but I still remember a promise I made to someone. I won't kill any more," Metal replied.

"But you don't understand Metal!" Weil shouted, becoming more desperate in his fabrications. "Zero has become a monster! And you're the only one who can stop him! Surely, you can bet that this person you made a promise to would allow you to do something so noble as saving the human race. You'd be a hero!"

"I'm no hero. Leave me alone," Metal replied bluntly.

Weil was becoming angry. He figured that if he couldn't get Metal to join him, he could always destroy him…but still, he would much rather have yet another ally to fight against Zero. He tried to think of something brilliant to say, and fast.

"From the sounds of it Metal, that would be letting that person down. Think about it. Saving the human race, defeating the Mavericks, restoring the peaceful world that everyone wants…it's a dream-come-true. Wouldn't this person want you to bring about a peaceful world? Wouldn't that person be proud of you for achieving such a feat? Restoring the peace would be a benefit to all, and you'd be the hero to it Metal. We need you," Weil continued.

Metal slowly looked at the saber he clutched in his hands. He did remember some things about his previous life—about Goth, about Zero…but many things were still vague to him, and he could almost feel some memories being lost. Still, regardless of his past, he did conclude that fighting for this cause could be the answer to what he was looking for. Could becoming a warrior for peace really bring his redemption?

Meanwhile, Weil was struggling with his own thoughts. He thought he may have laid it on a bit too thick, but still, he figured he could make this work. If he could turn Metal into his puppet, along with his Numbers, he would be able to take over the world much easier. Enslaving the human race would be a peace of cake, through sleight of hand. Then, in one fell swoop, he could destroy Zero and after he was finished, eliminate Metal. It seemed like the perfect plan. He gazed at Metal intently.

"…I'll do it."


End file.
